Blueberry Crumble Cake

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This Blueberry Crumble Cake is like a warm hug from a dear friend, well maybe not a hug, because I know that crumble cakes are not able to hug, but I bet you might just receive one from human arms when they taste this cake! Perfect for a lazy weekend, Mother’s Day, or any special brunch.

This deliciously moist coffee cake is studded with fresh (or formerly frozen) blueberries, topped with a brown sugar crumble, then drizzled with a creamy vanilla glaze that hardens as it cools giving the cake the perfect crunch/crisp to chewy/moist ratio. Dreamy!!

I was reminded of this coffee cake when I was out in California with a group of girlfriends this past weekend, our hostess served us a similar coffee cake for breakfast on Saturday and it was sublime. While her’s didn’t have blueberries in it, the “hug” was the same.

I’ve been friends with these women since we’ve been girls! When women get together with their longtime friends, they turn back into those same gangly, awkward little girls (I’m speaking for myself here). Oh my goodness, we laughed, shared, cried, giggled, listened, reminisced, dreamt, prayed with and encouraged one another. The security of being with friends who really know YOU, your history, and your family is truly priceless.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband and my boys, with every fiber of my being — however; in my humble opinion we were all made for relationship and sometimes we need the understanding, empathy and support of another woman. I would shrivel up without my family and girlfriends.

Circa 1979-ish | Kathi (me) & Julie

I was privileged to have grown up in the late 70’s and early 80’s with these girls in a unique situation that threw us together; all living on the same property with our families. It was the best thing that could have happened to us during those tough adolescent years, we truly became sisters! I won’t go into detail, because in all honesty unless you lived it I’m not sure you would understand, not even our spouses fully understand it. In just a few short years, our time together created a bond that wasn’t easily broken, we might have moved away, made new friends, raised our own families and yet this experience has drawn us back together. And I’m so glad it did.

It’s been 40 years since we first met as young girls, while we’ve seen each other at weddings and such, we haven’t all been together in 31 years, BUT you’d have thought we saw each other a month ago. We picked up right where we left off! This time together brought us back to the core of our friendship and I am so very grateful for these women; I have a feeling that we won’t go nearly as long as we did before seeing each other again.

To be have a friend, one must BE a friend; you must give of yourself, even when you don’t have much to give.Extend, risk and humble yourself to the beauty of authentic, real friendship. Where truth can be told, in love; where you can see the good, the beauty, and even help heal deep wounds. Through our vulnerability with one another we can encourage, hold up, and most especially pray for and with one another.

The older I get the more I realize the importance of these times with girlfriends who really know and love you, just as you are. Friends who see through the extra pounds and wrinkles, to the sweet, kind, caring and vulnerable heart of that young girl that still lies somewhere beneath layers of now crepe-y skin; reminding you of the treasure you are to this world.

L-R | (BR) Lisa, Shawn, Kathi (me) | (FR) Dawn, Julie

This is a tribute to my dear, life-long, forever friends; my sisters-in-Christ — Dawn, Julie, Lisa and Shawn; what we have, let’s not let go of, it’s too precious to put off for long; let’s use the God-given gift of friendship to stay in one another’s lives, encouraging one another, creating more memories together. I treasured our time together this past weekend and look forward to doing it again — soon!

Lisa, Me, Julie, Shawn, Dawn | Oh what I made them go through to get this picture

And so I encourage YOU my dear reader, to reach out to others; whether it’s re-kindling a friendship from long ago, making a new friend, or simply risking going deeper in a current friendship; don’t hesitate, jump in with your whole heart! You won’t regret it!

I’m getting all emotional just writing this, so on to our Blueberry Crumble Cake!

I actually made this Blueberry Crumble Cake a month or so back for my other treasured group of girlfriends that are in the same Bible Study (I am so very rich in friendships). It was a big hit, I hope you’ll give it a try!

First things first, wash your blueberries and let sit on paper towels to dry, if fresh.

If frozen, remove from freezer and allow to thaw, if you totally spaced thawing, have no fear, you may just need to bake a little longer, but be sure to coat them in flour, see below.

Make your Crumb Topping

In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine your brown sugar, cane sugar, flour and cinnamon using a fork or mixer.

Add in your softened butter* and mix well, using your fingers if necessary, until the mixture starts to stick together into large clumps/crumbs. It should hold together when pressed. I like to use my mixer, it takes a bit, but I feel like the butter is better distributed in the long run. But you can always just use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix.

TIP | BUTTER*, use the real deal. No substitutes. If it’s soft right from the fridge, it’s not real butter, but has a higher water and/or oil content which can affect how the cake and especially the crumb topping bakes. Quick soften your butter if needed by microwaving for 6-8 seconds to start.

Look at those beautiful, buttery, bodacious crumbs!

TIP | Place crumb topping in fridge while making the cake batter.

MAKING YOUR BLUEBERRY CAKE

In a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add your all purpose flour, sugar, eggs, milk, butter and baking powder and salt. I’ve made it both ways, with putting all of your dry ingredients first, then your butter, then your liquids and the end batter was the same, so whatever works best for you.

Mix it on low, until combined, careful not to over mix, might even be a few lumps. It’ll be fairly thick, don’t worry.

Gently fold your blueberries into the batter, no need to coat them in flour if you are using fresh.

TIP | Before folding in frozen blueberries, gently toss to coat in a couple tablespoons of flour. This will help them not bleed as much, but never fear, while it might make your cake purple, it’ll still taste terrific!

Below are two pictures, one of frozen (flour coated) blueberries and the other of fresh.

Fresh berries going into the batter…

Lightly grease a 9″ pan or a 9″ deep square pan if you don’t have a springform. If desired for easier removal from pan, cut out a 9″ round (or square) circle of parchment, lightly spray with oil and place in bottom of pan.

The second time I made this I split the batter into two smaller and it worked beautifully.

The first picture below is using frozen berries, so I did have some “bleeding” and the second picture is using fresh berries. Both cakes turned out delicious!! One was just more purple-y than the other.

TIP | An 8″ or 10″ pan may also be used, but you’ll have to cook longer for the 8″ (might want to place a cookie sheet underneath it, should it overflow) and you’ll have to cook less time for a 10″ since it will be thinner.

Crumble the crumb topping evenly over the top of the cake batter, making some larger chunks and some smaller.

Pop it in your preheated 375º oven and bake it for 50-65 minutes until the top is golden and the center is cooked. If it starts getting too brown on top but isn’t done, gently lay a piece of foil over the top.

For some reason I find it hard to tell when a crumb topped cake is finished baking, even when I stick the toothpick in the center, it’ll appear to be done, so if yours comes out a bit gooey in the middle, give yourself grace and enjoy the cake, because it’s still delicious!

Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in pan before pouring the vanilla glaze (see recipe) over the top of the warm cake.

Gently run a butter knife around the edge of the pan, to loosen and open the cuff of the springform pan. Serve warm (my favorite) or cooled completely.

Store in fridge — good up to about a week, if it lasts that long. Warm in microwave for a few seconds before devouring.

Not a blueberry fan? Substitute the same amount of fresh or frozen berries!

Blueberry Crumble Cake

This deliciously moist coffee cake is studded with fresh (or formerly frozen) blueberries, topped with a brown sugar crumble, then drizzled with a creamy vanilla glaze that hardens as it cools giving the cake the perfect crunch/crisp to chewy/moist ratio. Dreamy!!

Using a mixer, mix until mostly smooth and combined. Batter will be thick, if too thick, add additional 1/4 cup milk.

Gently fold in washed/dried blueberries into the batter.

Pour into prepared 9″ springform pan.

Remove crumble from fridge and crumble on top of coffee cake batter, larger marble sized chunks.

Bake 50-65 minutes until top is golden and center is firm, toothpick may or may not come out clean.

Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then glaze below.

GLAZE

Prepare glaze while cake is cooling.

In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, vanilla and milk/cream until smooth and pourable consistency.

Pour over top of warm cake for glaze that hardens and melts into cake, or if preferred, wait until cake is cooled completely then pour glaze over.

*Glaze is pretty, but can definitely be left off the cake.

To serve, using a butter knife, gently run around the edge of the cuff of the springform. Open springform and gently lift off. If you used a piece of parchment, slide a flat spatula or large knife under and carefully slide off springform bottom onto plate or serving dish.

Serve cooled or warm, may favorite!

Notes

TIP | For crumb cakes it’s best to use real butter, actually for all baking I think it’s better with butter! 🙂

OPTION | If you don’t own a 9″ springform pan, you may substitute a deep 9″ square or round pan, or use an 8″ (increase baking time by 10 minutes or so) or 10″ springform (reduce bake time by 10 minutes or so). Or may be split between 2 smaller pans. I’ve used two 6″ springform pans and they worked great, froze one and ate the other, not by myself, in case you were wondering. Bake 30-40 minutes, putting foil on top if gets too brown.

No blueberries or want to use different berries! Go ahead, substitute any other berries; strawberries (sliced), blackberries, raspberries are all delicious. Substitute equal amounts of fresh or frozen.